From teen hacker to Iron Dome researcher, this founder raised $28M to fight AI phishing

Shay Shwartz, a former teenage hacker who later contributed to Israel’s Iron Dome project, has launched a new venture named Ocean. The startup, which specializes in agentic email security, recently emerged from stealth mode with $28 million in funding to combat AI-powered phishing attacks. The investment round saw participation from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Picture Capital, and Cerca Partners, alongside angel investors from prominent cybersecurity firms.

Shwartz’s journey began with his early hacking activities, which transitioned into a career in cybersecurity after he realized the potential to use his skills for defense. He spent a decade in top-tier cybersecurity roles, leading projects for elite defense and intelligence units before founding Ocean.

Ocean addresses a critical gap in contemporary cybersecurity: the evolving nature of phishing attacks. While traditional solutions detect standard phishing attempts, Shwartz argues that AI fundamentally changes the landscape. AI can automate spear-phishing, making highly targeted attacks accessible to a broader range of malicious actors.

The Ocean platform utilizes a proprietary small language model designed to analyze the context of incoming emails thoroughly. This AI-driven approach allows it to understand sender intent and evaluate it against the user's specific organizational context, effectively acting as a digital “guard at every door.”

Ocean is already providing its services to major clients like Kayak, Kingston Technology, and Headspace, reviewing billions of emails monthly. The company’s innovative approach aims to establish a new standard for email hygiene and security in an era of increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.